Handle Sexual Harassment When Traveling Abroad

Handle Sexual Harassment When Traveling Abroad


If you are a woman traveling alone or with a small group of other women, there may be times when you feel threatened or annoyed by persistent male interest.

1. Do your research ahead of time to know what to expect as a foreign woman traveling in the country you will be visiting. Your research should include appropriate clothing for women, culturally appropriate behavior between men and women, and places women may be restricted from entering.
2. Study interactions between local men and women for appropriate nonverbal ways for interacting: Do men and women who are strangers make eye contact when speaking? Are outsiders treated differently than friends or acquaintances? How far apart do women and men sit or stand from one another when conversing?
3. Watch how local women avoid advances from men and follow their cues. If shooing a man away or turning abruptly away appears to shame and dissuade a pursuer, be prepared to use these gestures yourself.
4. Be assertive when saying, "No," to unwanted advances, making certain that everything in gesture and demeanor indicates "No": speak loudly so that others will hear you; turn away or cross your arms firmly in front of you; be prepared to leave the venue or join others for protection.
5. Look to nearby women for help, especially older women who may feel protective of you. A specific appeal to a woman, such as a shopkeeper, will likely be more effective at shooing away unwanted solicitors than a general appeal to a crowd of women.
6. Familiarize yourself with how to find local police, proprietors of stores or conductors on trains, and appeal to such authority figures for help if harassment is persistent.

Protect Yourself if You're a Woman Traveling Alone

Protect Yourself if You're a Woman Traveling Alone


More women are now choosing to travel solo than ever before. It's a great way to see the world, but here are a few safety precautions to consider as you plan your dream vacation.

• Leave your jewelry and other valuables at home. Never travel with expensive or heirloom objects that may make you a target for pickpockets.
• Be aware of the people around you all the time, and follow your instincts. If something doesn't feel right, trust yourself.
• Stay in well-populated, well-lit areas. Don't take shortcuts down alleys, and don't walk alone at night.
• Talk to the locals about safety. Ask them which areas they avoid and which areas become dangerous after dark.
• Always wear your purse across your body rather than dangling it from your shoulder. Or better yet, leave the purse at home and find another way to carry the things you really need.
• Be extra careful at night. Try not to go out without a group of people, and make sure you have a plan to get home safely if you will be returning late. Also, avoid wearing extremely revealing clothes, or bring a sweater or coat to cover you up on your way back to your hotel from a club or restaurant. The more vulnerable you look, the more vulnerable you are.
• Bring a lightweight scarf with you. It's a great, inconspicuous way to keep your stuff close to you. Just tie it around your purse strap, and then loop it through a belt loop on your clothing.
• Avoid discussing your travel plans in detail with people you meet along the way.
• Call home at predetermined intervals so that relatives and friends can be sure you are OK and can call the necessary authorities if you don't call on the appointed day.

Tips & Warnings

• Bring a couple of extra passport photos with you; this makes it easier to replace important documents if they do get lost or stolen.
• Bring a package of safety or diaper pins with you, and then pin the pockets of your garments closed, with your valuables inside. Just make sure you can access what you need without having to undress completely.
• Buy something at a local grocery store, and carry some of your valuables in the plastic bag with the store logo. This is a great way to disguise your camera as a bag of cheese and carrots!
• Even people who seem nonthreatening can be thieves or scam artists.
• Think twice before listening to sob stories or getting into conversations, especially in airports and train stations. Some scam artists hang out in locker areas, telling people that their bags have been stolen and that they need money or food; others wait to see which locker you use, with the intention of breaking into it later.

Things You'll Need:

• Fake Wedding Ring
• Money Belts
• Silk Scarf
• Whistles
• Padlocks
• Telephone Calling Cards

Avoid Trouble With Local Police While Traveling

Avoid Trouble With Local Police While Traveling


These tips for avoid trouble with local police:

• Research cultural mores and local laws before your departure, even if you are traveling in a country that seems similar to your own. Learn which behaviors are unacceptable, what's illegal, and the penalties if you break the law.
• Investigate whether or not bribes are a part of police culture in your destination, and if so, what constitutes an appropriate bribe. If uncertain and you encounter trouble, try asking a police officer if it is customary to pay a "fine" on the spot rather than be hauled into a police station to pay.
• Check with your country's embassy and find out when they can offer assistance for legal entanglements. Some embassies will not offer assistance in repatriating their citizens after particular kinds of crimes such as drug possession or drug dealing.
• Pack and wear clothing that is culturally appropriate to the area. Bring along at least one set of modest or conservative clothing that you can wear when interacting with local authorities.
• Carry appropriate identification and papers with you at all times in case you are stopped by a police officer. Know when your passport, visa or other permits expire and the appropriate means of renewing these before they become invalid.
• Carry a letter of introduction from a person of social position (such as a business, university or government leader) when traveling in a country where such letters are used. This may be an important tool in keeping local police from harassing you.
• Don't carry anything through a metal detector or onto a flight that may be interpreted as illegal or threatening. Tools such as sewing scissors and pocket knives are best kept in checked baggage.
• Carry your ticket or a receipt for your ticket when traveling on a train or bus. In some countries you will be asked to show your ticket on exiting a railway station or to produce your ticket randomly when the conductor has time to check it.
• Avoid confrontations or using disrespectful language when interacting with authority figures of any kind.

Protecting Your Belongings in Hotels and Cars

Protecting Yourself and
Your Belongings in Hotels and Cars


Whether you travel for business or pleasure, you will probably spend a lot of time in hotels and rental cars. It's always a good idea to take extra precautions to protect yourself from pickpockets, muggers and scam artists.

Number 1
Avoid ground-floor rooms and check that all the doors and windows to your room lock securely.

Number 2
Find out in advance if your room has a security peephole, a dead bolt or a safety chain on the door. If not, you may want to bring along a portable door alarm.

Number 3
Leave expensive or heirloom jewelry at home, along with other valuables that you don't need to have with you. Don't bring anything you can't bear to lose.

Number 4
Store your valuables in the hotel safe, if possible, rather than carrying them with you.

Number 5
Keep your hotel information ' especially your room number ' private. If you want to make a date or set up a meeting with someone you don't know well, suggest a nearby café or landmark as a rendezvous point.

Number 6
Check to see who is outside before you answer the door of your room.

Number 7
Clear out your rental car completely when you park it. If you have to leave something in your car, store it in the trunk where it is out of sight.

Number 8
Review your car rental insurance policy carefully to make sure you understand what types of damage and loss coverage you have. If necessary, take out extra insurance.

Number 9
Drive with your purse or wallet on the floor, rather than next to you on the seat, and lock the car doors while driving. This reduces the likelihood of a 'smash and grab'-style robbery.

Safely Use Free Wireless Internet at Motels

Safely Use Free Wireless Internet at Motels


One of the amenities offered by even the cheapest motels is free Internet access. For anyone who needs to check their email, check up on their work or business or just wants to surf the Web when bored, this makes Internet access convenient for the hotel guest. However, there are things that you should do to keep yourself safe when using the Internet access at any motel.

• Install a firewall on your computer. A firewall helps keep intruders and malicious software from entering and damaging your computer. You can purchase a firewall online or at a local electronics store.
• Make sure that the network you are connecting to at your motel is the one run by your motel. Many people will create fake networks to try to scam information out of people. Call the front desk and ask which network to connect to if you are unsure.
• Configure your Web browser to connect to a proxy server. A proxy server routes any website or file you interact with through the server before sending it to your computer, reducing the ability of others to detect your Internet searching. Many proxy servers are available online, and you can set up proxy access through your browser's settings.
• Minimize the entry of personal information such as credit cards, usernames and passwords or email addresses.